Former world number one Luke Donald least perturbed over losing title to Rory McIlroy
One might have thought that the sturdy Englishman Luke Donald, after having out rightly leading the world of golf for a consecutive 40 weeks, must be having nightmares over Rory McIlroy’s surge to the top last week.
Instead, the Englishman revealed that he was out with his family when McIlroy soared to the top of the world.
Strictly a family man, Donald insists that his recent fall from the top has given him a new meaning to strive for more and regain the crown.
"I was actually with my daughters at the playground," Donald said when asked about his whereabouts during the final round of the Honda Classic on PGA Tour.
Donald rose to the top of the world in the middle of last year when he managed to take down the then world number one Lee Westwood on the Playoff at BMW PGA Championship.
Once at the top, Donald outperformed players on both sides of Atlantic to stay on top for a blistering run of 40 weeks.
His reign came under serious threat at the Race to Dubai Championship in December last year when McIlroy threatened to topple the Englishman from the top.
His perseverance and excellent mental composure helped him overcome the threat.
For the moment, the 34-year-old Donald thinks that the new challenge thrown at him will only make him play better than being dejected and demoralised.
He said, "It's hard to go very far when you're No 1, but no, I didn't give it too much thought. That's what happens. I've had a little bit of a slow start. Rory has played well and deservedly overtook me. I've never really questioned the world ranking system. It's an unbiased, mathematical system, and he's done enough to get to No 1".
The world number one spot was probably the least discussed topic during the incontestable reign of Tiger Woods at the top.
Ruling the sport for an unparalleled 281 weeks, Woods finally fell from the top slot back in November 2010 when Lee Westwood dethroned him.
Golf, since then, had a new beginning as the title changed hands five times and no fewer than four players shared the top spot in 16 months. Donald says the new scenario adds a bit of interest in the sport.
He added, "I think it adds a little bit of interest, When Tiger was No 1, no one really talked about the world rankings much, and maybe the big talking point was who was in the top 50".
McIlroy became the second youngest player in the history of the sport to surge to the top after Tiger Woods, when he landed the Honda Classic title last week at Doral.
He has already on course to a brilliant season, pulling in several strong finishes right from the start. The young Irishman will now be hoping to land the elusive Masters title next month.
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